Judy Foote quits cabinet, will step down as MP this fall

ST. JOHN’S – The woman affectionately known by her Newfoundland and Labrador caucus colleagues as ‘skipper’ has made it official: She’s leaving the Liberal ship.

Minister Judy Foote announced today that she’s quitting the federal cabinet immediately and will step down as a member of Parliament for Bonavista-Burin-Trinity this fall.

As minister of Public Works and Procurement Canada, she has been on a leave of absence since April due to family health issues.

“While I had hoped to return to continue my responsibilities, I have made the decision to stay at home, close to my family,” Foote, fighting back tears, told a press conference in St. John’s this afternoon.

“I love what I do. It’s difficult to step back. It all seemed so far away in April.”

As hard as it is to leave behind working with dedicated political support staff and a dedicated public service, she said, it’s the right decision for all affected, especially for her family.

“It would also not be in the best interest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador for me to continue on leave indefinitely,” she said. “The province needs representation in cabinet and to serve effectively requires being at the table. I thank the prime minister for giving me the opportunity to serve in his cabinet and sincerely appreciate his understanding of my decision.”

“He really does have a soft spot for Newfoundland and Labrador.”

For more than 20 years, Judy Foote served the people of Newfoundland & Labrador with love and dedication. We’ll all miss her immensely. pic.twitter.com/tCV2F2Wf78

She said stepping down from cabinet will give her replacement some time to get briefed on issues before the cabinet meets in St. John’s next month. She’s holding off on stepping down as MP until she’s had the chance to finish visiting the 240 communities in her riding and thanking people for their support.

Foote was first elected federally in 2008 and again in 2011 in what was then the riding of Random-Burin-St. George’s.

She was re-elected in 2015 in the newly established riding of Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, where she earned nearly 82 per cent of the vote — the highest margin in Canada.

Before that she was a member of Newfoundland and Labrador’s House of Assembly, serving in several cabinet roles.

“I have had the honour to serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador for 28 years,” Foote said, her hands shaking at times as she spoke. “I am indebted to the people who made it possible for me to have this incredible privilege to serve them, our province, our country.”

She was greeted by a standing ovation as she arrived at the press conference on Signal Hill, overlooking the Narrows, and met by several provincial ministers and the province’s other MPs: Seamus O’Regan, Yvonne Jones, Ken McDonald, Scott Simms and Gudie Hutchings.

A former journalist, Foote thanked the media for respecting her privacy since she took leave earlier this year.

“Things can happen unexpectedly where plans have to change. Such has been the case for me and privacy has been important for us as a family.”

There has been speculation about her health, given her history with breast cancer. She was first diagnosed 17 years ago in 2000 while serving as a provincial politician. In 2014, she informed constituents that the disease had returned.

Today, however, she made clear that’s not why she’s leaving.

“I want to assure everyone that I continue to be, as far as I know, cancer-free.”

She said she was able to deal with that and keep going. But as a carrier of the hereditary BRCA2 gene, her family was also tested.

“Unfortunately, it has also affected my children,” Foote said. “When it hits your children, it’s a totally different ball game, as I’m sure many of you can attest.

“Having said that, all is well. My children are well. But it is an eye-opener and it puts things in perspective.”

She said her family — at her side during the press conference — have always been “very, very supportive” and at no time suggested she give up the life that she loved. They’ve always been her priority, but her political career hasn’t afforded her a lot of time at home with them over the years.

“And more than the jobs and the (political) life, I love my family. This decisions is ours. It’s my decision to be with them. It’s where I need to be.”

Asked about what she’s proudest of in her political life, she said that — contrary to what many might think — it’s not any one of the major announcements she’s made over the years.

“It is when you’re able to help individuals who don’t know where to turn. They really need you to be there for them. For me, that’s always been my biggest accomplishment and something I’ve always wanted to be able to leave as a legacy — that you made a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable.”

Does she have any regrets?

“I have lived my life with no regrets. I don’t believe in dwelling on the negative. I’ve gotten where I am by being positive. I’ve gotten through health concerns by being positive.”

What about the Phoenix pay system fiasco?

“I have never shied away form a challenge. In fact, I have welcomed those that mean being able to make a difference,” she said. “The only thing for me is when those challenges impact negatively the lives of individuals. That is what is most difficult.”

Asked if it’s going to be difficult for her to sit on the sidelines, Foote laughed and told reporters: “I think you know me too well.”

Even while on leave, she’s watched question period every day, as well as debates and committee meetings.

“That’s how addicted I was to this life.”

When she told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that, she said his response was: “You did what?”

But she’s vowing not to do that now.

“I’ll be following the issues, but I won’t be engaged. I am truly stepping back.”

Already, however, she’s being mentioned as a prospect for Newfoundland and Labrador’s next lieutenant governor when the position opens up next year.

“I haven’t even gone there,” Foote said. “We are doing what we need to do as a family … Things happen all the time that change things in your life. I want to be here on the ground with them in the event we find ourselves in a situation where we need to be together. We are a very close family.”

The audience laughed as one reporter piped up: “(The LG’s residence) is a big house.”

“Is it?” Foote said.

“With lots of rooms,” the reporter continued.

Trudeau is not expected to immediately name a replacement for Foote, whose portfolio has been overseen on an interim basis by Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr.

The portfolio is one of the most intense jobs in cabinet, with a huge array of responsibilities — among them, resolving the many problems with the Phoenix public service pay system, which have resulted in public servants being overpaid, underpaid or not paid at all. Insiders say the portfolio will go to an experienced minister, necessitating a small shuffle of the current cabinet lineup.

As well, Trudeau is expected to give rookie Liberal MP Seamus O’Regan a junior cabinet post in order to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador retains its representation at the cabinet table. He is a personal friend of Trudeau’s.

Insiders say Trudeau also may appoint a new female MP to cabinet in order to retain gender parity among his ministers.

None of those in attendance wanted to talk about who might replace Foote, insisting it was “Judy’s day.”

“We affectionately call Judy our skipper,” O’Regan said. “There are a number of us in this Newfoundland and Labrador caucus who are new to elected politics and she took us under her wing. We were and are a very effective team, but we’re losing our skipper and that’s tough.”

He first worked with Foote 25 years ago when he was an EA to provincial Minister of Justice Ed Roberts and she was working for Premier Clyde Wells. And while he worked in Premier Brian Tobin’s office, Foote was minister of industry, trade and technology.

“There is no one I know in politics with a work ethic and with a heart like Judy Foote. She was like the then and she’s like it now,” he said.

“In politics, as in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. She sat next to the prime minister in the House of Commons. That speaks volumes about her access and about how much he trusted her.”

Labrador MP Yvonne Jones was first elected provincially with Foote in 1996. In all, they’ve served together for 21 years.

“She is a woman who has her heart and soul in her job and into the service she brings to people. She’s a bridge-builder. She looks to resolve issues in a quiet and peaceful manner and over the years she’s been very successful in accomplishing that.”

Mark Browne started working for Foote as an aide when he was a university student in 2009. Now a member of the provincial House of Assembly, he says she encouraged him to pursue his political ambitions.

“She taught me to always remember who hired you. She wouldn’t have been there for decades otherwise.”

He said you never hear any of her constituents speak ill of her because they have no reason to.

“She has been a tremendous advocate for the people she represents, but also for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. She’s come through time and time again.

“I believe her legacy will be (of) one of the strongest female politicians in the province, if not the strongest cabinet minister we’ve ever had in Ottawa.”

As Foote hugged her caucus colleagues, she couldn’t help but feed the speculation about who might take her place at the cabinet table.

“Now we’ll start the rumours,” she quipped, pointing out the only MP from the province who wasn’t in attendance. “Nick (Whalen) is in Ottawa.”